Rumours have been swirling around the Broncos’ quarterback situation for months. Many were expecting them to land Aaron Rodgers, but it turned out to be another NFC stalwart that arrives in Denver. With Russell Wilson onboard, the Broncos now find themselves firmly in a win-now window. For the Seahawks, this looks to be the move that kickstarts a big rebuild. Here’s how the two teams fared in this trade.
| Broncos receive | Seahawks receive |
| Russell Wilson | Drew Lock |
| 2022 4th round pick | Noah Fant |
| Shelby Harris | |
| 2022 1st round pick | |
| 2023 1st round pick | |
| 2022 2nd round pick | |
| 2023 2nd round pick | |
| 2022 5th round pick |
Denver Broncos Grade – B+
At long last the Broncos have their franchise quarterback. They have struggled for consistency in recent years, starting 10 players since Peyton Manning’s retirement in 2015. They have had much more success building the rest of the roster though, and appeared to be just a quarterback away from pushing for the postseason.
Whilst Wilson might not be Aaron Rodgers, he’s realistically the next best thing. Since 2018, Wilson ranks third in quarterback efficiency rating (EPA+CPOE composite), behind only Mahomes and Rodgers. This was despite being constrained by an old fashioned and conservative offense in Seattle. He is also five years younger than Rodgers and has said that he intends to play until his mid-40s. Wilson could realistically be Denver’s franchise quarterback for the best part of the next decade.
Then there’s the price. The Broncos have invested a lot in Wilson, but it certainly seems like a fair deal. They were always unlikely to use this year’s first rounder on a weak quarterback class and they couldn’t afford to wait to develop a player from the 2023 class. They also get Wilson on a cheap deal. He will cost them just $24m against the cap in 2022 and $27m in 2023. This leaves them with a sizeable $26m to work with in free agency this offseason.
Seattle Seahawks Grade – C+
It felt like this trade had been coming for some time in Seattle. The relationship between Wilson and the front office had clearly soured and the 2021 season showed just how far away this roster is from competing with the best teams in the NFC. Whilst trading away a great quarterback is never a good move, this does at least allow Seattle to start their rebuilding process with more capital.
They now have a number of different options. Whilst this is not a great quarterback class, they do have the option to draft one at No. 9 overall. They wouldn’t be forced into starting them in 2022 either thanks to Drew Lock being part of the trade package. Alternatively they can spend that pick elsewhere and roll with Lock in 2022, with a view to targeting the 2023 group.
Even with all of that said, it is hard not to think the Broncos got Wilson at a good price. Seattle may have a top ten pick in this year’s class, but this is a group that is noticeably thin on elite prospects. With the addition of Wilson you would also expect Denver’s 2023 first rounder to come much later on. In reality though, the Seahawks had little in the way of leverage. Wilson had gone so far as to release a list of preferred destinations ahead of the 2021 season and it was clear the relationship had broken down. This was as good of a haul as they could have hoped for given the circumstances.
